In 2010, One Direction came only third in TV talent show The X Factor. And yet they went on to become one of the biggest bands in the world. The group went on to have enormous success around the world, selling more than 50 million albums and 25 million singles. In 2015, the band announced an indefinite hiatus and all the members launched solo careers.

They also, partly through their canny use of social media, developed a large and passionate fanbase. With much of the band’s activity shared and showcased on Twitter and Facebook, Directioners (as the fans are known) cultivated even more intense bonds to the boys, harkening back to the days of Beatlemania or Bowie. This intense fan interaction also propagated a series of increasingly bizarre rumours, stories, fanfic and conspiracy theories concerning individual members that spread online.

Why did runners up in a talent show become global chart toppers? Why do they generate such a devoted following? What do Directioners tell us about the nature of fandom today? And did all the social media attention and the online speculation concerning the band eventually do more harm than good?



With guests Joe Stone, Laura-May Coope and Chris Lochary.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell